Celebrity POP – Social Buzz – Upbeat Vibe

Month: May 2009

Post navigation

Ready to become an all-star? On the court or at the job. In business or life. Lebron James has done it. Each year since joining the NBA. The all-stars play during mid-season. They represent players from across the league. Best of the best in their positions. Two teams compete as East versus West. So how is all-star status achieved?

Well, the selection is fairly subjective. The fans vote. With great play you stand a shot. But all-star success in life is more than just chance. Consider this for starters. Life is like sailing on the open seas. Your career is like swimming in a fish bowl. Success as an all-star is about establishing your name, growing your game, and reaching higher acclaim. Life, career, success!

Sounds good, right? Let’s connect the dots. On the ocean you have access to vast resources. You can live for weeks if you’re resourceful. True, there is the possibility of a storm every now and then. It takes ship-smarts to navigate the open waters. A fish bowl is a great training pool. A fish learns to survive and thrive in a safe environment. Develops bowl-smarts. Builds upon its natural gifts and talents.

How does this relate to the CEO of Me Inc.? Becoming an all-star or expert takes practice. Working your craft over and over again. Until it becomes like magic. That’s how you free-up creativity. An expert takes time to teach others. Mentoring a co-worker or teammate is a good thing. You grow by teaching what you know. Also, find ways to give it away. Some write blogs or volunteer in the community. The rich choose philanthropy.

Expert status takes one more step. Connect the fish bowl to the high seas. Maybe even jump from the fish bowl into the ocean. On the job, in business or as the CEO of Me Inc. Raise your game and attract more fans. Develop sea-smarts (better yet, street-smarts). Establish your name as a go-getter. Deliver beyond expectations. With higher acclaim you might hangout with the movers and shakers. Ok, go ahead. Hook that thing up!

Natural born winner! Is there such a thing? That’s the question being asked at sports bars and local taverns. Fans want to know. Does a team need a natural born winner to become champions? It’s a lot like the question, are leaders born or made? Here’s what I’ve learned from watching Lebron James. He’s developed an ‘inside-outside’ game.

He can beat you with the jump shot. He can score by driving to the hoop. This makes him tough to defend. The strong leader has a similar advantage. He (or she) develops the person alongside the person-ality. So what does this say about the CEO of Me Inc? Glad you asked. Their inside-outside game is nice too. They make the personal and professional work together like wrestling partners.

This tag-team approach is how you get paid to the max. Yes, an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay. But there are other ways to cash flow. Royalties, Residuals, Refunds to name a few. The CEO of Me Inc. turns skill into dollars and value into a pipeline. This way money is not simply about punching a clock. It’s about meeting a need and attracting new streams. Sometimes by branding your pain.

Elizabeth Edwards’ book Resilience, recounts her battle with Cancer. It also talks about her husband’s infidelity. Two difficult and very personal subjects. Maybe a lesson in business and life. The CEO of Me Inc. combines the personal and professional by turning wounds into wisdom. Pain into Profit. Hurt into net-worth. Kirk Franklin, adopted at two. Now he’s a mega gospel artist. Oprah goes from abuse to Billionaire mogul.

In any business you’ll find strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The same is true for a sports team or individual. What do Lebron, Oprah and others have in common? A strong inside-outside game. They rock! They get the respect of peers. That’s a plus for the personal and professional. It works for a pro, the everyday Joe and Me Inc. CEO. Weaknesses are lowered. Strengths are raised. Opportunities are seized. And threats become assets.

More than 13 years ago I had a wake-up call. I was told “you’re not promotion material.” This experience was the start of something good. It caused me to ponder where my career was going. How would I climb the career ladder? Was it time to do something else? By now you heard First Lady Michelle Obama share her wake-up call. It prompted her to leave a high-paying job at a mega law firm to enter Public Service.

Most everybody has a wake-up call experience in their career or life itself. You get laid off. You miss out on a promotion. You feel disconnected, rejected or disrespected. Some people enter a mid-life transition. You look at reinventing or repositioning your skills. This happens in pro sports as well. A team loses a close game. A star player is traded. The coach says “shake it off and re-group.” Maybe someone retires after a career-ending injury. Then becomes an Entrepreneur or Broadcast Analyst.

Here’s what happened almost three years after my wake-up call. I left my job to pursue my dream. I became the CEO of Me Inc. I now have a built-in wake-up call. An internal alarm clock. Each day provides the opportunity to grow, excel, inspire. You have more focus of mind. Fire in the belly. Fun at work. Fighting spirit. Purpose in living. Why? Because you come ready to work. Ready to play. Ready to go to the next level.

That’s what Lebron James displays as a pro athlete. He takes more shots in practice. Works hard and plays smart. Puts it all on the line in the game. On the court he’s in the zone. On the bench he’s cheering his teammates with high-fives and a big smile. Some say they look unstoppable. Are they going to need a wake-up call? That’s what the TV Commentator asked of James after a game.

James’ response left a hint of the Me Inc.CEO experience.”Each game is a chance to grow as a team. The win is important but getting better is what matters.” James does the extra work of a champion. His play brings a lot of joy to the game. He comes ready to work, play and go to the next level. In the NBA and in life. He lives in the moment. In his words, “my time on the court feels like everlasting.”

Breaking News…Lebron James is being linked to miracle grow. Move over A-Rod! James has a step on you. But there’s more to this ‘hot news’ story. James was just named league MVP. His game is up in points, rebounds and assists. His value is up in leadership, sponsorship and showmanship. James is on track to surpass Shaq.

When you hear miracle grow you think ‘green thumb.’ Yards, gardens and flower beds. Some use it to stimulate growth. Others use a more conventional approach. Planting, Pruning or Priming. How does the Me Inc. CEO use miracle grow? To fire-up a new season of personal & professional growth.

First you have to nurture a new mindset. Get your mind right (so to speak). Then plant the seed. Water the seed. Watch it grow. So KFC has a new grilled chicken? The Colonel says “unthink what you thought about KFC.” That’s a new business seed. A new fast-food mindset. Original recipe with a gril-licious taste. When is your season of growth? Start by reviewing and renewing the ideas in your mind.

To stimulate growth you have to prune your skill-set. Pruning is a process of removing. Get rid of dead or dying branches. This makes resources more available. Pruning your skills means upgrading your abilities and capabilities. Learn something new. Re-learn something you already knew. Increase your output and outcome. Your wattage and mileage. Bud new smarts. Flow new energy.

Just a little miracle grow and watch yourself glow. Prime the person on the inside. Bloom your personality on the outside. Deepen your roots. Increase your reach. Read books. Master your game. Reinvent yourself. Like James, you can sport a new ‘jet-set.’ Give your performance a boost. Raise your appeal to magnetic. Make your paycheck see more green. You’ll be flying high. Looking and feeling FABULOUS!

Post navigation

Links

Short Bio – Douette ‘Doc’ Cunningham

Author/Speaker, Blogger, Social Commentator -
He's the author of two books and an avid blogger who believes life is meant to be lived with purpose!
www.JoetoCEO.com

Doc’s Blog Tip

“The ‘stairs challenge’ on social media might be about how to dance up the stairs as something you do for the culture. But in the workplace, it’s about how to reach new heights in skills and thrills as something you do for the glory.”